Like any other thing, auto covers eventually become unusable. Of course, not only the quality, but also the intensity of use affects their service life. Not only light models of covers, but also dark ones, require regular washing. But what to do if the existing factory “clothes”, but you don’t want to ride without it at all? Of course, you don’t need to run to the car shop for the next set, especially since this will require certain costs. From this situation, you can find a simple and budgetary way out - to make car covers with your own hands. Despite the apparent complexity of the process, with certain skills, you can sew a seat cover in just a couple of hours.
The first stage - choosing the "right" fabric
Many car enthusiasts prefer to tailor their own covers, not only in order to save money, but also in order to give the car a unique look.
Fabric for car covers should be chosen with particular scrupulousness. The fact is that the comfort of passengers and the driver depends. If we consider the fabrics that are used by salons for tailoring “clothes” for custom-made chairs, it becomes clear that they most often offer synthetic products to consumers. Such a product is very practical: it is durable, gets dirty a little, and is easy to clean. The car owner can order an “outfit” for seats made of velor, polycotton or neoprene (such covers are characterized by high fire resistance).
However, despite all the positivity of synthetic fabrics, they have one significant drawback: the flammable material slips, it is unpleasant to the touch. Synthetic covers are best used in autumn or winter. In view of this circumstance, seat covers that will be used in the summer are best made from natural fabrics that allow air to pass through and do not irritate the skin. Genuine leather will also be a good option for the material for covers for this period, however, if it is leatherette, then the driver will sweat a lot.
The second important criterion is cost. A ready-made original kit that fits perfectly on covers will cost almost six to ten times more expensive (depending on the manufacturer) for a home product. From a practical point of view, self-tailoring will only require material costs.
The second stage - taking measurements from the chairs
After the “correct” material is selected, it is necessary to make patterns. Sewing perfectly fitting car covers requires taking measurements. After all, even a case made of eco-leather or other fabric sewn by the skillful hands of an experienced seamstress will bulge ugly if it is not sewn to size.
To make patterns, you need:
- take cellophane or a piece of transparent polyethylene in advance, the size of which will correspond to the dimensions of the chair;
- put the prepared polyethylene on the seat in such a way that it is possible to trace each element separately at the seams with a dark marker;
- check the conformity of the pattern with the actual size of the chair by attaching the cut-out pieces of polyethylene;
- transfer the resulting patterns to cardboard (it is more convenient to work with denser patterns);
- transfer the blanks to the material (details should be outlined with additional 2–5 cm seam allowances).
The scheme of cutting home car covers
If the car owner does not want or cannot purchase an original set of “clothes” for his seats, he can learn from the material below how to sew car covers. If you purchase the material you like in advance and prepare patterns, then, after cutting out the parts, it will only be necessary to stitch the individual elements together and equip the product with fasteners (the easiest way is to make ties).
The pattern of covers is not a very complicated process, however, when making them, it is worth remembering that an overlap made half a centimeter larger than the size of the seats allows you to sew loose covers that fit better than “clothes” sewn strictly according to the dimensions of the chair.
Creating simple cases that do not require skills
If there is a need to equip your car with original handmade covers that would not require large labor costs and financial investments, you can make such a simple “robe”, to create a pattern of which you only need to measure the volume of the head restraints.
The easiest way is to create such a car cover with your own hands, which would look like capes. Such a product is able to protect chairs from moisture, sand and dirt. Even if the necessary material is not available, you can use an unnecessary thick terry towel or sheet that would be equal in width to the seats. There will be no extra oilcloth tablecloth, which will act as a water-repellent layer.
Sewing car covers for a car will require a relatively long piece of material. First of all, it will be necessary to step back 25 cm from the edge of the fabric in order to leave a part for hanging from the chair. Approximately at the same level, it will be necessary to mark the center of the future cover, additionally learning about the required width of the product.
The volume of the headrest must be divided by half so that the horizontal line located in the center corresponds to the value found. The next step is to cut the holes according to the drawn lines.
After a pattern is made from the material, it is necessary to adapt the oilcloth tablecloth to the case, from which an identical blank should be made, which would have additional centimeters on the sides for indents.
To understand how to make such a homemade preparation for car seats, you need to place the tablecloth face down, and the terry cloth, respectively, face up. The indents on the bottom layer should be folded inward and the edges chipped with needles. After that, you can start sewing the details.
After everything is ready, you need to walk along the line along the edge of the slot in order to carefully process it.
Conclusion
Simple seat covers can be made from improvised materials in just a couple of hours. Moreover, such a product can be sewn not only on the front, but also on the rear seats. By the way, the more the edge hangs from the bottom and sides, the better the seat will be protected from sand, dirt and moisture, which especially often get into the car in autumn, spring and winter. For the first time, you can try to make simpler car covers, and then, having gained experience, make more interesting original covers made of leather or fur.
